1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game apparatus and game method for controlling a repulsive force against a lever by using information regarding the position of the lever, and a program for realizing these on a computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has conventionally been provided a racing game where a player as a vehicle driver drives a vehicle, moves around in a virtual world in the vehicle, and enjoys a competition with other players or players controlled by a computer.
In such a racing game, a player determines the direction in which the vehicle advances by operating a controller shaped like a steering wheel, issues instructions for acceleration and deceleration by operating controllers shaped like an accelerator and a brake, and adjusts a virtual gear rate of the vehicle by operating a controller shaped like a gearlever.
In such a racing game, when the player moves the controller, as the gearlever having a bar shape by his/her hand, a switch related to the gearlever is shifted or the position of the gearlever is detected by an optical sensor, thereby a signal representing the position of the gearlever is output.
On the other hand, in a real vehicle, forces felt by the driver when he/she shifts the gearlever change in accordance with the condition of the vehicle, such as engine rotation number, engine output, temperature, etc. That is, even if the driver tries to change to a gear rate that does not match the engine rotation number, the driver may not be able to shift the gearlever to the intended position because he/she receives a repulsive force. Further, in this case, strange noises happen. On the contrary, if the driver tries to change to a gear rate that does match the engine rotation number, the gearlever can be smoothly moved, and in many cases the caused noises are quiet. The driver can know the condition of the vehicle by such reactions of the gearlever.
Accordingly, there is a demand for a technique for allowing the game player to know the conditions of the vehicle, the acceleration condition of the vehicle, etc. in the virtual world, by changing the repulsive force felt when the player operates the gearlever in accordance with the progress status of the game and the current position of the gearlever. Particularly, real-timeness is required in a game, and calculations necessary for such control on the gearlever need therefore be performed as fast as possible.